Marineland May Move Animals to Other Parks

The pilot whales Bubbles and Bangles and thousands of other Marineland animals will probably be moved to aquatic parks throughout the country when the oceanarium closes March 1, Marineland’s owner said Friday.

Although no definite plans have been worked out, some animals will probably be taken to Sea World parks in San Diego, Florida and Ohio, according to Jack Snyder, a vice president with Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, which owns the Sea World parks and Marineland.

“We are just working out the plans,” Snyder said, adding that the company was still “taking inventory” of the Marineland animals. “Sea World is capable of taking care of the animals.”

A Marineland spokeswoman estimated that there are 4,000 animals housed at the Rancho Palos Verdes park.

Harcourt purchased Marineland for $23.4 million on Dec. 30. The Orlando, Fla.-based company announced Thursday that it was closing the park because it is losing money and millions of dollars in improvements would be needed for it to break even financially.

Lanny Cornell, Sea World’s zoological director, said that ill or injured animals being treated at Marineland’s animal care center will be taken to Sea World in San Diego if they are not well enough to be released to their natural habitat by the time the park closes. The center treats 150 to 170 animals a year.

Marineland’s star attractions, the killer whales Corky and Orky, were trucked to Sea World in San Diego on Jan. 20. Harcourt said the whales were “in danger” at Marineland because their tank was too small.